A Comeback for the Ages: Leafs Stun Habs with Seven Unanswered Goals

Last night’s game will go down as one to remember! If I’m being honest, I almost turned off the TV in the first period when Josh Anderson made it 3-0 just nine seconds after Patrik Laine blasted one on the power play. The Leafs came out flat, Joseph Woll was under siege, and Ryan Reaves couldn’t even get a fight out of Arber Xhekaj, who smugly motioned to the scoreboard.

It looked like the Leafs had lost the game in the first 20 minutes.

Turning Point

The spark came midway through the second period when Bobby McMann, using Matthew Knies’s stick handed to him moments earlier, ripped one past Montembeault at 9:32. McMann immediately signaled his thanks to the bench, and with that goal, the Leafs had life.

This moment alone kept the game on in my household, and boy, am I glad it did.

Later in the second, the Leafs capitalized on a crucial power play. Nicholas Robertson, contributing from the second unit, tipped in a beautiful shot-pass from Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The game was on!

Third-Period Dominance

William Nylander came out of the locker room on a mission, starting the third period by muscling past rookie sensation Lane Hutson and burying a stunning backhand to tie the game. From that moment, it was all Leafs.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s seeing-eye point shot gave Toronto its first lead, and Auston Matthews added to it with his 386th career goal—his first-ever shorthanded tally.

Hometown boy Steven Lorentz added insurance, finding himself wide open in front of Montembeault to make it 6-3. David Kampf sealed the win with an empty-netter with 1:34 left on the clock.

Photo: Hometown boy Steven Lorentz when he was growing up

Goalie Heroics

Joseph Woll stood tall in the third period, turning aside every shot Montreal fired his way. He even made a stunning, desperation save on Nick Suzuki, a save worthy of “save of the year” discussions.

Takeaways

The Leafs need to figure out how to start games on the right foot, but there’s no denying the entertainment value when they flip the switch like they did last night. There’s nothing better than seeing Montreal fans vacate their seats at the Bell Centre with time still on the clock.

With the win, the Leafs maintain top spot in the Atlantic Division, three points ahead of the Florida Panthers.

Up Next

The Leafs are back in action Monday night, hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Be sure to check out the Maple Leaf Chronicle Pre-Game Preview for all the details!